Dream Garage #10 – Nissan GT-R

I’m not one for cars that are just about horsepower and top speed and stuff like that. I think Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ferraris and the ilk are wastes of resources and time, since they’re all horrendously expensive, distastefully flashy, and aren’t really hugely different from one another when scrutinised… well, I won’t go on since I’ve already ranted enough on so-called supercars, and I’m guaranteed to do so again in the future.

But I’ll make exceptions when the said car is ball-bashingly spectacular all around or revolutionary, either when it’s insanely, mind-boggingly over-the top like a Bugatti Veyron, or when it’s some sort of upstart that puts mainstream supercars to utter shame. And the latter is definitely the case of the magnificent Nissan GT-R.

In an age where high-tech is the norm, being able to out-do competitors in this field is quite a feat. And high-tech is what the GT-R has in cartloads. Apart from the clever gadgetry that’s hidden under the car’s proverbial skin, there’s a visual manifestation of this in the form of a centre screen, that shows a lot more than sat-nav and radio presets. Apart from the usual stuff and what an on-board computer is supposed to tell you, there’s a g-force-ometer, readouts on water and oil pressure and temperature, and a host of other impressive stats I personally think should be standard on all car displays. The graphics were designed by boffins from the computer game Gran-Turismo 5‘s creative team, which rather befits a technological tour-de-force made real.

And while most other 300km/h vehicles employ V8s, V10s and V12s (exception made for Porsche with their flat-6’s), this Nipponese auto uses a 3.8l V6, and uses its displacement well enough to put to shame cars many times its price. Just look up some GT-R vs. other cars on YouTube and a host of videos of drag-races of the Nissan against super-costly competitors (usually beating them). Then there’s the blitzingly amazing Nurburgring lap-time, and a load of publications shouting out the GT-R’s magnificence.

When Top Gear did not one, but two films on the GT-R, Clarkson explained how the exquisite assembly of the car includes mounting the engine is hand-made in a hermetically sealed chamber, so the components won’t microscopically expand. And because it’s hand-made you might get more than the 485bhp Nissan says it has (an American magazine tested theirs and it turned out to have 507bhp). Each gearbox is tailor-made for that one specific engine, and won’t function in any other GT-R. The suspension struts are mounted while under pressure simulating the weight of the car, so that the geometry is absolutely perfect. The shape of the car is all worked out so that the air is all channelled to the rear spoiler, and give the car more grip.

And while many people might be reading this and shaking their heads, thinking “a Porsche 911 can do the same”, the truth is that it takes one of the more sophisticated and pricey versions to trump this Japanese coupé’s prowess (don’t ask me which one, I can’t tell one 911 apart from another, they’re all the same s**t to me).

The GT-R also has a charm that’s unrivalled by European models, at least for me, and that’s its quirky styling. It’s designers don’t shy away from its very Japanese looks, partly due to all those aerodynamic mouldings, but mostly due to its inspiration in Japanese popular culture.

Nissan chief creative officer, Shirō Nakamura, has likened the new GT-R to the eponymous giant robots of the Gundam series. Nakamura stated: “The GT-R is unique because it is not simply a copy of a European-designed supercar; it had to really reflect Japanese culture.”

Nakamura noted that the GT-R’s square lines and vents were influenced by Gundam robots. (source)

It really does remind me of a Japanese super-robot. Very fitting, since this appeals to the science-fiction fan in me, and a technologically advance car should do that to you. And what’s remarkable is how it all truly works and comes together in one very neat, high-tech and ultimately very Japanese package. Japan is very good at making very dull cars, with bland styling and zero substance, but it also proves with this car that they can do just as well or better than Europeans if they put their mind to it.

All in all, a truly desirable machine. I’d love to have a pretty black one sitting in my dream garage, ready to tempt me into the world of petrol-drinking, tire-burning high speed.

4 Responses to “Dream Garage #10 – Nissan GT-R”

Well put. I’ll still take 911 rs 4.0 first anytime though. I do have to say I was quite disappointed when I found out that the r35 GTR wasn’t available with a manual transmission, though I’ve heard that the reason it puts up such impressive numbers is do to its computer, launch control and highly
sophisticated automatic transmission.